Jessie Buckley says she is “so proud and honored” after earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet.
The 36-year-old actress is nominated for her portrayal of Agatha Shakespeare, landing a spot in a competitive Best Actress lineup that includes Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Speaking in a phone interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Buckley reacted to the news with characteristic warmth and humor. “My baby’s screaming in the background, but I am thrilled,” she said. “I’m so proud and honored to be beside all those extraordinary women and to be there with Hamnet. I’m delighted.”
Hamnet received eight Oscar nominations overall, including Best Picture and Best Director for Chloé Zhao. One of the morning’s surprises, however, was the absence of Paul Mescal from the Best Supporting Actor category. Buckley was quick to emphasize that her own nomination is inseparable from his work in the film.
“Yeah, look, I think he’s extraordinary in this film,” she said. “I know I’ve met a partner for life in doing this with him. I don’t know what to say apart from he is, to me, my absolute.”
She continued by crediting Mescal’s artistry as foundational to her performance. “His artistry is something that will continue to grow and be a theme in so many different ways. I know what we created together is something that’s so special to us, and I hold that so dearly in my heart, and there’s no part of Agnes that exists without Paul.
“There’s no part of what I created or what we created in this story which exists without Paul and what he poured into this story. So what is recognized belongs to him as much as him being recognized in his own category would.”
Buckley also reflected on the close-knit experience of making Hamnet, describing the cast and crew as a true creative family. “Being on the trail as a family has been what it felt like when we were making it,” she said. “We were a little village. Any time we make these films to share, this is the next leg, to put it out into the world and share with an audience and feel their response.”
She added, “But look, I love those guys so much. It was an absolute privilege of my life to tell this story with them, and I’m so proud and honored that it’s been responded to the way it has in the cinema, because that’s who we make it for.”
The Oscars will air live Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, broadcast on ABC and streamed live on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
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